10 DECEMBER 2016

Brian Vera Discusses Loss And Rematch

By Marc Livitz: Just a few days have passed since Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. was declared the unanimous decision winner over Brian Vera. The bout which took place at the StubHub Center in Carson, California was very much a case of disbelief throughout the evening and the days prior to it. There was shock (without the awe) over Chavez’s weight issues, which many attributed to laziness and sheer lack of motivation.

Furthermore, there were weight issues in regard to the contracted poundage limit for the fight itself. It went from the low 160’s to the high 160’s and eventually all the way to 173 pounds, all of which were conditions crafted just for Julio. Vera (23-7, 14 KO’s) of Austin, TX. has fought in and around the middleweight division for the majority of his career and once the bell rang, his opponent with the famous last name from Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico appeared as if he was now campaigning as a cruiserweight. This disbelief wasn’t a jolting shock for just about anyone who has even casually followed the habits of Chavez, Jr. The biggest letdown was saved for the end of the contest. The lone concession of shortening the non-title bout to ten rounds would ultimately not mean a thing for Brian.

Although the central Texas fighter outlanded Chavez (per CompuBox statistics) in punches for eight of the ten rounds and at a very high ratio, the three ringside judges still awarded Julio a clean sweep victory. The need for a knockout for Vera would likely have been the only way to guarantee a win, regardless of the performance and effort he would exhibit. Brian was active seemingly throughout the contest, while Chavez, Jr. was often slow and plodding. Effective judging seemed to give way to only one as opposed to several criteria in scoring a fight.

The disbelief was finally too much for the highly pro-Chavez crowd in attendance last Saturday evening. The vast majority loudly booed the visually poor outing by Julio and the victory they felt was awarded to the wrong person simply because his opponent didn’t carry the same last name. Vera’s trainer, the great Ronnie Shields as well as the Austin fighter’s camp, loudly cried foul. They called the decision a robbery. Brian, Ronnie and their management team agreed and he kindly spoke to the media this afternoon by way of a quickly announced telephone conference session. Highlights listed below.

Brian Vera on the Decision: "We were happy with the way things were going, so we were infuriated with the results. I feel sick to my stomach and you heard the crowd. We all felt the same way. I was disgusted and so, I just hope we can do it again."

Ronnie Shields’s Thoughts on the Same: "I had my suspicions, but I told Brian that no matter the decision, he won the fight. In my mind, I kept telling myself that I had been through this before with other fights. To give Julio, Jr. a unanimous decision was ludicrous".

Artie Pelullo, President of Banner Promotions: "I never thought the scores would be so bizarre and erroneous. Even Bob Arum says that Gwen Adair & Marty Denkin were both off. We’re going for a rematch. Of sixty reporters polled, 56 saw Brian win and only 4 saw it a draw. No one gave it to Chavez. The only thing to do now is to have a rematch in Brian’s home state of Texas. The judges were supposed to see who is winning the fight, not who is supposed to be winning the right. They had preconceived ideas before the fight ever took place. The officials are not held accountable for their decisions and their commissions stand by them. I’m a promoter and if I make a mistake, then I’m held accountable. The officials are not held accountable to anyone. In Nevada, (Executive Director, Nevada State Athletic Commission) Keith Kizer got on trouble with his Governor because he stood blindly by the judge from the Mayweather versus Canelo fight who scored the bout a draw."

Vera on the Possibility of a Rematch: "I am not going to stop boxing or give it up because of what happened. We have to make sure that the contract is right and that there are real penalties in it if he (Chavez) does the same kind of things, not just the stuff that he can afford. I just have to go back to work."

Ronnie Shields on Judging and Contract Stipulations: "We can’t worry about the judges. We’ll keep Brian in great shape and get him ready for the next fight. The next time, we’ll have to put in a half million dollar penalty if he doesn’t make weight. This guy dictated everything from the weight, the cancellation and to other things. In the next fight, they’ll have to abide by the rules or there will be no fight."

Pellulo on Chavez, Jr.’s Interest in a Rematch: "Bob (Arum) talked to him (Chavez) and he’s interested. I think he needs to do it. His fan base wants him to do it. In Mexico, they want him to do a rematch. There’s no other fight out there for him before the end of the year as all other fighters are tied up."

Ronnie Shields on Julio and The Decision: "He knows that the spotlight is on him now. He knows in his heart that he lost the fight and that would be the reason why if he didn’t take a rematch. Julio was looking for help all night long (from referee Lou Moret) and he knew that he was losing. He got help from the judges but not from the referee. I don’t need to watch it again. I saw it live and I judged every round for my fighter. If Brian was behind during the fight, then I would have told him. I just kept telling him to keep his hands up and to stick to the game plan. We have to train harder and add just a bit more into what I saw."

On Why the Bout was Rescheduled for Ten Rounds: "It was a good decision because Chavez was easily two hundred pounds. I knew that Chavez would put that weight back on. At the rate that Brian was throwing punches, Chavez took them because he was so big. That happens if a two hundred pound man hits someone thirty pounds lighter than him."

“People have to look at all of the hard work that Brian put into this. We had seventeen hard weeks of training and he never complained. He kept pushing and pushing. That showed in the fight. He worked so much harder than Chavez ever did. The judges don’t care that they gave the fight to someone that didn’t deserve it. We’ve heard nothing from them. None of them have come out and said a thing. Virgil Hunter saw some suspicious things at ringside. I don’t know if that’s true or not. Say something. They call themselves fair and honest, but that means that they should come out and say something. “

Brian Vera on Public Support: “It felt good to get all of that support. It made me realize even more that I got ripped off. So many called me the winner and that felt good.”